Lazy summer day

After many sessions of hand-picking the ugly grubs, I should temper my recommendation of DE for potato bugs. The DE works great when they just hatch out, but does not seem to bother the larger ones. It's effectiveness is also reduced by rain or heavy dew. I keep picking and picking, yet the Rose Finn Apple fingerling plants have sustained pretty heavy damage. The Green Mountains have fared better. I am sure I will get some potatoes, but I wonder how much the yield will have been reduced. The MOFGA pest report said that short-season varieties planted after late June can escape the notice of adult potato bugs in the Spring. I may try that next year.

Other than potato bug picking, watering, and harvesting things to eat, I have not done much to the garden for several weeks. With the rain we've had recently I haven't even had to water, and everything has shot up about 2' - including the weeds. Shallots and garlic should be ready to harvest soon, but are not quite ready yet. We are looking forward to summer squash and cukes soon. Amazingly, the salad greens have not bolted yet, but the quality is down a bit. Still, what an amazing amount of greens that planting has produced!

The first little green tomatoes sighted are Hog Hearts. It is nice to see so many bumblbees on the borage. The corn is coming along, even with the competition of the nasturtiums.